


Four Months

by LazlosLulls



Category: Zero Escape (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Bad Puns, Diana is a BAMF, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self Care, here it is...my magnum opus...my mona lisa...my macaroni art feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-21 11:07:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14283570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazlosLulls/pseuds/LazlosLulls
Summary: Diana settles into life after the Golden Ending Decision Game. Four snippets, one of each month after the end of the Zero Time Dilemma.





	Four Months

**Four months**

**January**

The Nevada sun was blinding. Diana could barely make out ten figures standing in the desert. Yellow sand against blue sky against dark shadows slowly took form into the Dcom participants. Delta had just finished his speech.

Carlos took aim. He…shot? No…he didn’t. Diana herself walked over the sand and gave her 124 year old son a good talking to. Sean chortled, and Eric joined in, snickering while Sigma awkwardly moved next to her to give support. She looked over at Phi, who smiled, a little.

Wait…her perspective shifted. Phi kicked Delta in the head again, and Junpei sucker punched him, talking about being stuck in the fridge was clever and all, but he’s fucking pissed. Akane was silent, and she knew from shared memories that _this_ was the only time anyone got out together. Her confusion prevented her from stopping the fight, but Delta wasn’t killed.

It changed again. Akane grabbed the gun from Carlos and Junpei held her hand while she…Diana plugged her ears, but she could still remember the phantom feeling of a revolver in her hands-the crack of a gunshot bolted her awake.

It was entirely too dark in her apartment. Her throat was dry, chest heaving, legs and arms paralyzed in shock. Her temple felt sore, and she steadied her breathing, flexing her fingers. Diana counted to ten, then back to zero. She told herself, ‘this is my apartment. I am in my bed. Everyone is alive. 6 billion people are alive. That was a dream.’

Diana knew it wasn’t, that it was some sort of SHIFT, a power that could let her jump through time like changing lanes to avoid a car crash. Or, at least, Akane and Junpei were kind enough to tell her that. Whatever happened in those hours during, or _after_ the Decision game were too much to keep track of in her head. What she did know is that the SOIS swooped in, making sure everyone was briefed and questioned for hours. Diana suspected that they were kept in quarantine as well.

She was driven back to her apartment by a nondescript black van. That was nine days ago. Diana resumed her civilian life, going into work as a nurse and coming back, like nothing happened. And, according to this reality, nothing really _did_ happen.

It doesn’t stop her from remembering.

A headache was starting to build under her eyes. Diana sat up and put her feet in brand new slippers, making her way to the kitchen. She cracked the fridge open, considering the take out boxes and Tupperware containers of leftovers before deciding on a slice of cinnamon swirl bread and cream cheese. There was a kettle, filled and ready for tea, and a plush blanket to wrap herself in.

The Dcom experiment, to her, was a chance to seclude herself among strangers. To find out who she was, without him. Well, what did she know now?

She knew that she could let her daughter burn alive while her lover watched. That she would attempt to kill her lover to save her daughter. She knew that she could survive on half a can of food a day and carry twins to term. She knew that in the right moment, she could kill six billion people to save two that matter the most to her.

Diana took a sip of tea and chewed her bread. She refused to starve herself anymore.

**February**

In the second week of February, after doing her rounds, the Head Nurse called her into her office.

Rebecca was a tall woman with an air of calm assurance around her. She called Diana to sit, and folded her dark, manicured hands over each other. “Diana, I got a call yesterday from a woman who asked if she could meet you. Her name is Phi Roth, and she said that she was part of Dcom. I know your ex-husband had...problems, and I wouldn’t like a repeat of the cafeteria incident. Do you trust her?”

“Yes. Phi’s a good person. She won’t cause trouble.”

“I’ll call her back.” Rebecca took a note down, “How was Dcom? Did you find the peace you were looking for?”

Diana pursed her lips, tilting her head in thought. “I suppose so. I’m glad to be back helping people. It was a good break.”

“Any cute guys?” Rebecca smiled, waiting for the dirt.

Diana smiled and loudly sighed, “All of them were taken. The two my age were going to propose after the experiment, and there was a little boy.” She bit her lip, _‘and one was still mourning my death.’_ “Phi was good company. Though a little…brash.”

“That’s good, maybe her fight will rub off on you.”

“You think so?”

-

Phi agreed to drop by the next day during lunch. She smoothed the red edging of the men’s style leather jacket while waiting. Under that was just a tank top and jean shorts. Brand new glasses framed calculating grey eyes. She’d redone her hair into a startling royal blue and pinned her bangs back with her silver brooch. Even her eyebrows were colored in black as not to clash. “It’s amazing what you can buy with $500,000, huh?”

Diana nodded, feeling underdressed in her scrubs and hastily tied hair. “Where did you get the jacket?” she asked conversationally, taking bites of food.

“Oh. Stole it from Junpei on the first day of Dcom. Still waiting for the call to give it back.”

Tea nearly went up her nose. Diana cackled, slamming her hand on the cafeteria table. “You’re such a kid!”

“What, are you going to make me give it back, _Mom_?” Phi said, mockingly.

Her response was more laughter. Tears caught themselves on her eyelashes, she clutched her sides and pushed each breath out like a madwoman. “I’m- mmph- barely your mom, Phi.” The red head tittered even more.

Her eyes were cold but her smile was warm. “Yeah. We barely even know each other. You don’t even know Sigma.”

“Oh, I know Sigma. Just-not right now.” Not in this history. She knew eleven months of Sigma, day in day out. “You do realize we had time to-” She couldn’t sat it out loud, it was so absurd, she had to mime something with her hands. Have sex. Several times, to ensure that the bastard who put them in there was born. The situation was absurd, out of a raunchy sci-fi novella, she had to keep laughing while Phi’s face turned red.

“Diana-”

“I’m okay! I’m okay! You don’t need to tiptoe around this like I’ll break. What happened there…happened,” she grasped Phi’s hands in her own, “and I’m glad that we’re all here to help each other through this. That’s why you came here, right? To check up on me?”

“…yeah. Here.” Phi reached into the jacket and pulled out a phone. “I’ll give you my number, and Sigma didn’t exactly say no, so-”

“I’ll be sure to text both of you.”

This time Phi smiled with her eyes.

-

“How is Sigma doing? He’s not answering my texts or calls.”

“It’s like you’re divorced or something.” Phi grumbled. “He’s…settling back in. Had a hell of a time thinking about whether to keep going to college or not. Oh, and you remember Sean? Sigma built them a head over the weekend so they could go to school. It’s a little…uncanny valley, but he makes it work.”

“Does Sigma…not remember Dcom?”

“Oh he remembers…it’s just. He’s afraid. He doesn’t know if he can stay.”

“What do you mean?”

The college student sighed deep into the phone. “I need three whiteboards and a coffee machine for that. Can I come over?”

-

Phi ended up bringing a notebook, three pens, a flowchart, two coffees, and a bag of doughnut holes. She unfolded the flowchart, taking the blue pen. “This is Sigma’s path.”

Diana picked up the bag and started eating the doughnuts. Then she spat out the bitter coffee and made masala chai tea. Phi didn’t notice the cup being switched out, nor the doughnuts being replaced by soft snickerdoodles.

The college student continued with her speech, every word calculated and matter of fact. With a sigh, she circled the branching path, away from the parts labeled ‘AB Game’. “But we are in a whole new timeline. When April comes, he doesn’t know if his 22 year old consciousness will replace him or not. I don’t even know if _I’m_ going to stay here…”

There was a sinking feeling in her gut. “If we’re never going to see each other again, why are you talking with me?”

“ _Not even Gods can return to the past, so live in the moment so you have no regrets._ ” Phi grabbed her hand, “I don’t want to lose the opportunity to spend time with my mother, even if my cranky old man won’t spend time with her in case he loses her again.”

Something about that struck her as funny, and an errant thought ran through her mind; Sigma, with a silver eye, holding her in bony metal arms like she would break.

She didn’t break, she smiled instead. “I’d like to spend my time with you too, Phi.”

**March**

One of the other girls were sick, so Rebecca told her to mind the newborns that day, instead of her usual rounds. The babies don’t affect her much anymore. In fact, she feels happy for them. Being here means that they have teams of knowledgeable people looking after them while their mothers rested.

Besides, Phi and Delta looked nothing like the wrinkly sausages she was attending to. Hers were _much_ cuter.

A loud cough came from behind her. She turned around, finding Junpei there, sheepish, with a long, easy smile. “Hey, Diana, good to see you.” He was wearing a bright red tee with a blue plaid over shirt, and probably the same black jeans she saw him in last. “Umm. Listen, I came here because…someone at my detective agency wanted to find you.”

“Oh?”

“He was…look I don’t want to say anything nasty but, I got a bad feeling. He was…nice. Too nice, until I asked him why he wanted to find you. Then he was all-” he waved his hands, “ _intense_. Like,  Real Housewives of Vegas level crying and tantruming and shit.” Brown eyes darted down at the sleeping babies. “Ak-sorry.” He rubbed his hair. “I’m just trying to say, someone’s coming after you. Do you want my number? Kanny may or may not be the leader of a crime syndicate, we could help get rid of him if you wanted.”

“That’s very kind of you.” She smiled, “I’ll call if I can’t get rid of him myself, okay?”

Junpei shrugged, “Whatever. Is Sigma still being overdramatic or is he actually talking to you now? I’m just asking, ‘cause I’ve been there.” He turned to her, hands in his pockets, “They think that they’re protecting you, by not saying anything. So you can stay out of danger. Classic hero mistake.” He ended bitterly.

“I’ve got a feeling he’ll text me back tonight.” The corners of her mouth shifted, and Junpei knew better than to ask.

“Hey, so.” he took his phone out. “If you want to be friends, bitch about alternate timelines or whatever here’s a safe number. And an email address, because burner phones are _lit_.” He smirked. “Get it, _lit_ , because the phone can be _burned_ …Ah?” his smile grew wider as she snickered. Junpei was so different since the Decision Game. Lighter and happier, like a weight had lifted from his shoulders.

Diana wondered if she looked any different to him.

-

“Sigma.” she typed out. “I know it’s just a feeling, but I know that today – in another history, I told you I was pregnant. I don’t regret that night. I don’t even blame you. You’re a good man. I know you’ve been staying away from me because you feel guilty for involving me this, but I don’t regret it. I don’t regret you.”

There was a pause, and Diana took another bite of her dinner. The fries were a little too salty for her tastes, but that just made the milkshake and burger sweeter. Sigma’s reply came with a soft chime.

“I don’t regret you either.”

A second passed. Another chime.

“I regret Delta a little bit tho.”

-

Junpei’s warning came true by the end of the week. A man did come by after lunch, and Diana was smart enough to signal her coworker to cover her before taking him outside to the smoking area. People would describe her ex-husband as a serious man. He was polite, slotted himself into the right circles, and had a well-paying job…before. Maybe he always wanted to break free of that ‘politeness’ and losing his job and their money to gambling was the ticket. Diana didn’t know. She just knew that seeing him was like cutting stitches out before they healed.

Samson, to his credit, was doing his best to be non-threatening. It didn’t matter that his clothes were clean, or his blond hair was combed perfectly or his dark green eyes were pleading with her – she knew where giving in led. Bruised hips, burning skin, a limp and two scars on her arm and stomach.

She doesn’t want to make it three, so she asks, “Samson. Why are you here?” calmly, patiently.

The thin man smiled wide, “I came back. I know we had our troubles, but my debt’s been paid! Isn’t that wonderful? We can live together again. It’s going to be great, just like when we started.” He grasped her hand. A phantom shiver ran down her spine.

“I don’t want that. Leave me alone.” It came out in a flat, forced monotone. At her support group, one of the other divorcees suggested writing down a dialogue of what to say when she was asked. She practiced them in front of the mirror for a few weeks.

“I can’t spend another Christmas alone, Ana. Please. I’ve changed.” His voice never wavered, a perfect plea.

Her stomach gave a lurch and she had to turn away. “I don’t want anything to do with you anymore.” Diana bit out. Good. She was following her script. She told him no. That was important. If anyone was here, they could vouch that she refused politely.

“But…I love you.” And a perfect tear came from his eye. She didn’t have to look at him to see it, it just was always there.

Something in her snapped. Maybe it was those words. She turned, towering over him, “NO! You didn’t love me! You loved yourself! You loved what you made me! If you’d actually cared, you wouldn’t be doing this!” She jerked her arm outward, “Get out of here! I don’t want to see you!”

“But-You paid the debt…I thought that meant you forgave me…” quiet. Pitiful, just enough to make her rethink. To make her look around at what she’s doing right _now_ , not what he did _then_. Fuck that.

“No! I want you out of my life! For good!” Diana glared at him, feeling the power, the dangerous, raw emotion she was holding onto with both hands focused to a point between his eyes. “Leave me alone!”

She saw a quick flash-herself, teeth bared, fists clenched, eyes purple and cold. ‘Leave’ she commanded. “…” and he staggered away, like a man dead on his feet.

She stood there, outside of herself, light and heavy with what she’d done. Feeling like she’d deal with it later, she turned and walked straight to the break room.

Phi was in the hallway. She was…frozen, stunned, standing there until Diana pulled her into a hug. “Thank you.”

The rest of the day passed easily.

-

Sigma called her after work. It had been the first time she’d heard his voice since Dcom. “Phi told me what happened this morning.”

“…It happened this afternoon.”

“Uhh…right. Are you alright? I should’ve been there, I could’ve-”

Diana got a sudden feeling. Somewhere, no some _when_ , Sigma showed up at the hospital, punched out her ex, and dip-kissed her. It was all very romantic, but she still yelled at him. Sigma showed up, asked her if he could punch him, and she said yes, and was very satisfied.

…this was not that timeline.

“Sigma.” She snapped. “It’s not _your_ job to fight my ex-husband for me. You don’t have to right all the wrongs in the world, Sigma.”

“…I know.”

**April**

“Phi will need to come back with me to Crash Keys. We have the tools necessary to continue the timeline so the AB loop can be completed.”

“ _If_ your 22 year old consciousness comes back, right? What, are you going to chop off your own arms?” she joked.

“As long as my left forearm becomes a prosthetic in-between now and the AB game, the loop should hold.” He said, serious.

“…oh. But what about Luna...”

He talked, quiet but firm, “You don’t have to follow me to the moon, Diana. I _met_ Luna during the AB Game. Akane even transferred applicable data about Luna so that I could recreate her without you as a template. She’ll be a bootstrap paradox, like Phi and…Delta.” He paused. “My family is self-perpetuating.” He swallowed, “We’re all a fucking paradox.”

“Not Kyle. He’s just your clone.”

The noise stopped dead. She could imagine Sigma pinching his nose as he sighed, “…Goddammit. Just, tell Phi to pick up her phone sometime today. Love you.”

Her heart jumped into her throat, forcing her mouth shut. Diana hung up quickly.

-

“Work has got me on a double shift. I won’t be able to contact you until after midnight. I’m sorry, and I adore you.”

-Sent April 13th, 2029, 7:46 am

“Hi sorry, I’m Sigma. The Sigma you’ve known since Dcom. I’ve spent the last four months avoiding you because I’m selfish – I told myself that staying from you would be best, but I was just sparing myself the grief of knowing you but not knowing if I could stay. Can you forgive me? And also, would you like to finally get dinner?”

-Sent April 14th 2029, 12:34 am

“…yeah Phi sent me a photo like at 8…with two VERY scantily dressed women. Do you know who Alice and Clover are?”

-Read April 14th 2029, 12:45 am

**Author's Note:**

> Can I take a second to promote GrumpiestCat’s excellent series, the gods lost, 2-1 on Archive of Our Own? They’re great, they got me into SigmaxDiana more than the games did.


End file.
